Electric car charging 'can be cheaper by the mile than petrol' as drivers make huge savings
The price to charge an electric car using an ultra-rapid charger has dropped again
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Charging an electric car at an ultra-rapid public charger is now cheaper by the mile than petrol, new research has shown.
When using a public charger within 20 minutes of peak times, drivers will pay the lowest cost they have all year.
In the last month, prices fell by a further 3p/kWh, following a decrease in the cost of charging seen in August.
Drivers using charging stations offering flat rates saw prices remain stable, but slow chargers saw peak and off-peak prices rise again.
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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that the deadline to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles would be delayed from 2030 to 2035.
In the speech, in which he delayed a number of net zero pledges, Sunak praised what the UK had been doing to ensure electric car costs continue to fall.
He said he expected the majority of vehicles sold by the end of the decade to be electric, because costs are reducing, range is improving and the charging network is growing.
Speaking at the Highways UK conference at the NEC in Birmingham, AA President Edmund King, said it was positive that costs were falling to help drivers make the switch.
He added: “A further reduction in the cost of ultra-rapid charging is brilliant to see and shows that chargepoint operators can act quickly to pass on cost savings to drivers.
“Ultra-rapid charging can be cheaper by the mile than petrol and gives more food for thought to those who are considering making the swap from combustion cars to EVs.
“Recent data shows that business and company car drivers are the ones most likely to make the switch to electric because of the tax benefits.
“These drivers tend to drive longer distances and will use the ultra-rapid network when out on the road.”
The cost to charge an electric car to 80 per cent at an ultra-rapid charger is £28.40, more than £20 cheaper than the petrol equivalent.
Petrol and diesel prices have increased in recent months because of global instability, first with the war in Ukraine and now with the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Experts had feared that the global price of oil would hit $100 (£82.54), massively increasing the cost of petrol and diesel for consumers at the pumps.
Petrol and diesel prices have increased, although not as quickly as many had anticipated, with motoring groups forecasting that the cost of fuel will fall in the near future.
Edmund King continued, saying: “Any fears they may have before taking the keys will quickly disappear as they enjoy a growing charging network alongside low cost energy.
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One expert said drivers would feel more confident in switching to electric with falling charging costs
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“Transparent and competitive pricing of charging at home and on the road is an essential part of encouraging private and business drivers to go electric.”
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